Annealing-box.



Patented Dec. 24, [90L P. MEEHAN.

ANNEALINGBUX. (Application mod .m 7. 1897.1

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UNITED STATES PATENT Genres.

PATRICK ll/IEEIIAN, OF NEWCASTLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

ANNEALINGY-BOX.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent NO. 689,735, dated December24, 1901.

Application filed July 7, 1897. Serial No. 643,703. (No model.)

To alt whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PATRICK MEEHAN, a resident of Newcastle, in thecounty of Lawrence and State of Pennsylvaniznhave invented a new anduseful Improvement in AnnealingBoxes; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof. f

- My invention relates to annealing-boxes such as are employed inconnection with the manufacture of sheet-iron, tin-plate, &c., al-

though I do not wish to limit myself in its use. These annealing-boxesare ordinarily made of cast-iron, and in view of the intense heat towhich they are exposed when in the annealing-furnaces the expansion andcontraction are very sudden and very great, so that said boxes warp andbreak under the strain, and the life of such a box is accordingly veryshort.

The object of my invention is to provide an annealing-box so constructedas to permit of the expansion and contraction of the metal withcomparatively little injury to the box and at the same time a box whichis strong and durable.

My invention comprises certain novel features, all of which will befully hereinafter set forth and claimed.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and'use my invention, I willdescribe the same more fully, referring to the accompanying drawings,inwhich Figure l is an inverted plan-view of my improved annealing-box.Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on the line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is across-section on the line 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of aportion of the box.

Like letters indicate like partsin each of the figures.

The sides and top of my improved annealing-box are composed of aplurality of arched plates or sections a, of wrought metal, said platesbeing formed with the corrugations on grooves b and the flanges 0. Thesearched plates at are connected by means of the corresponding archedmetal strips d. The flanges c of the adjoining plates or are riveted tothe strips (1 by means of the rivets e, the edges of sai fla ges uttinand with the strips d forming a ose tight joint.

.plates f in the same manner as above.

In order to make a strong joint at the corners ofv the box where theends are joined to the body of the box, the end plates f are formed withthe inwardly-projecting flanges 'i, which are held between the flanges cand the flanges k at the ends of the strips h by means of the rivets 70.

An angle-plate m, having the upwardlyextending flange m, forms thebase-plate of the box. The flange m is riveted to the flanges o of theplates or, while the plate an extends out horizontally and covers theopenings at the lower ends of the corrugations b. By closing the lowerends of the corrugations in this manner I guard against the entrance ofair. The joints are also luted with clay in the ordinary manner beforethe box is placed in the annealing-furnace. A strengtheningstrip a isalso secured to the flanges f at the base of the ends. I do not wish tolimit myself to the exact construction illustrated, but wish to includeall equivalent constructions.

When my improved annealing-box is in use and it is placed intheannealing-f urnace,where it is exposed to intense, heat, the action ofthe heat will tend to expand the metal composing said box. Owing to itsconstruction, however, it will expand more readily without severe strainon the metal, and likewise when it is removed from the furnaceand isallowed to cool the contraction will take place with less strain on themetal. Accordingly the wear and tear on the box are greatly reduced andthere is less liability of the warping and cracking of the metal. Owingto the corrugations on the sides, top, and ends of thebox the expansionand contraction are possible without undue strain. The diiferent platesor sections composing the box are strongly secured together, and in caseone of the sections becomes worn out a new one may be substituted, andthe life of the box is thus greatly increased.

\Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. An annealing-box comprising a body of arch shape having a pluralityof corrugations extending up the sides and across the top thereof, andend pieces secured to said body, said end pieces having a plurality ofhorizontal corrugations extending across the same.

2. An an nealing-box comprising a series of arched corrugated platessecured together to form the body of the box with the corrugationsextending up the sides and across the top thereof, and end piecessecured to said body,

PATRICK MEEHAN.

Witnesses:

Rom. D. TOTTEN, ROBERT C. TOTTEN.

